


You Don't Know What You Don't Know

by Shi_Toyu



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Electrocution, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Miscommunication, Nick Fury Knows All, Nick Fury is Not Amused, Nick Fury is a Good Bro, SHIELD, SHIELD Agent Bucky Barnes, SHIELD Agent Tony Stark, Secret Identity, Tony Stark Has A Heart, medical emergencies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-07 06:37:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11053386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: In answer to the prompt:“Friends Natasha and Steve decide to set up their friends Tony and Bucky on a date, since both have had bad luck with dating for a while. Unfortunately, these planned blind dates keep going wrong, so that one or both end up not being able to make it. Meanwhile, Tony and Bucky keep running into each other without realizing they’re the “friend” that Steve/Natasha are trying to set them up with, and grow closer, falling for each other.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InsaneJuliann](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneJuliann/gifts).



> For InsaneJuliann! I hope you like it, hun!

Tony sighed as he picked at the tablecloth. He resolutely ignored the pitying looks the waitress kept sending him from across the restaurant. He knew he shouldn’t have agreed to this _again_. It wasn’t like it turned out any different than the other half-dozen times Nat had tried to set him up on a blind date. At least when _Tony_ couldn’t make a date he made sure the guy found out about it before he _sat_ there for over an _hour_ nursing a glass of wine all by himself. He almost wished there’d be a supervillain attack or a bank robbery or, hell, he’d take a mugging for an excuse to dash out of there like he wasn’t a miserable loser who’d just been stood up for the _sixth time_.

He wasn’t even sure why he still agreed to these anymore. Nat’s friend’s friend was clearly never going to show up. This was the, what, the ninth time they’d tried to get together? Tenth? And, to be fair, several of those occasions Tony’d had to cancel last minute because Iron Man was needed, but that wasn’t exactly his fault. He should have taken SHIELD’s call to action earlier in the evening, but it wasn’t like the Winter Soldier couldn’t handle things on his own. Still, at least then Tony would have had some company.

He signaled the waitress so he could ask for the check.

.

James felt exhausted by the time he arrived back at SHIELD. He was bone weary and sore, though he knew his shoulder would heal up in a matter of hours. The super soldier serum was good for something at least, fucking HYDRA and their human experimentation. He supposed he was lucky Stevie had found him and pulled him out of there before any real damage could be done, like the public finding out. He liked working for SHIELD better, too, what with the lack of brainwashing and torture. Still, it definitely came with more paperwork.

He changed into a standard SHIELD agent uniform, tactical cargo pants and a black long-sleeved t-shirt with the agency’s logo over the breast. It was far more comfortable than the leather body armor he wore out in the field. It took several minutes of scrubbing with a washcloth to remove the heavy greasepaint around his eyes. Then all that was left was to sweep his hair up into a messy bun and pull on a pair of gloves to hide his metal hand and he was ready to head out into the masses of SHIELD with none the wiser about his identity. He snagged the tablet he used to submit all his forms and went to see if his favorite scientist was in the labs.

Edwards was only there about half the time when James popped in, but that never stopped James from trying. The mousy brunet was always bubbly and excited over some new invention or gizmo or else fired up and incredulous at the incompetence of his coworkers. He was brimming with energy and life and he was so _real_ in a way that made him almost entirely unbelievable. James loved just being around him. It didn’t hurt that he was adorable and had a killer smile. James wished Steve would set him up on a date with Edwards instead of Mr. Disapearo or whatever his name was.

Steve had been trying to get him to go on a date with a friend’s friend for months now, it seemed, but every time they set something up, either James got called out into the field or else the other guy came up with the most ridiculous excuses James had ever heard for missing their date. Honestly, James would have called the whole thing off ages ago if it weren’t for Steve’s damnable puppy-dog eyes. They were supposed to meet tonight, actually, just one more irritation on top of all the others. James downright needed to see Edwards just to stay sane.

It was his night, apparently, because the scientist was perched on a stool in the nearly deserted lab, hunched over a monitor with a cup of coffee at his elbow. Edwards’ hair was actually styled today, a rare occurrence, and James could see dress slacks protruding beneath his lab coat. The ex-assassin had to squash down a flash of jealousy at the thought that Edwards might have a date later, even though it was already pretty late in the evening. The scientist didn’t even know who James really was. He had no right to be jealous.

“Hey,” he greeted, taking what was probably an inappropriate amount of amusement in the way Edwards jumped. “I wondered if I’d find you here.”

“ _What_ have I told you about sneaking up on me, James?” the scientist snapped, but a small smile was creeping across his face.

James could do nothing but grin wildly as he hopped up on the corner of Edwards’ desk.

“That it’s a fantastic idea and I should do it all the time?”

“I have a heart condition, you know.”

“So I hear. Still not sure I believe you. You drink an awful lot of coffee for someone with a heart condition.”

“Maybe it’s decaf. You don’t know.”

James snorted.

“Like Hell.”

Edwards pouted.

“Why are you so mean to me? I’m having a shitty night. You’re supposed to be nice.”

James sobered instantly, reaching out to place a hand on Edwards’ shoulder. The scientist leaned into his touch and James wished he didn’t have to wear his gloves around SHIELD so he could feel Edwards’ skin.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Edwards sighed. His gaze dropped to the floor and off to the side, avoiding James’ own.

“Nothing,” he hedged. “I’m being ridiculous is all.”

“Hey, hey, none of that,” James chided gently. “What is it? You can tell me.”

The scientist just shrugged half-heartedly, still not looking up at him.

“Just got stood up again, is all. I mean, am I really that awful to be around that people don’t even want to _meet_ with me?”

James frowned. From what he could tell, the other SHIELD scientists admired Edwards’ work a _lot_ , even if they gave him a wide berth most of the time. He didn’t know where this pessimistic self-view was coming from, even if it wasn’t the first time he’d caught a glimpse of it. He slid off the edge of the desk to better pull Edwards into a half-hug, pulling him up and out of his chair.

“C’mon, we’re going to the mess. You need pudding. Pudding makes everything better.”

The mousy brunet wrinkled his nose, as James knew he would.

“The pudding in the mess _sucks_. I’m pretty sure I saw it move on its own one time.”

James knew from experience the pudding was actually pretty good, but he just grinned.

“Well, then, guess you’ll just have to come out with me and find a better place to get some then. The diner on 5th, maybe?”

Edwards perked right up.

“Oh, James!” he fake-swooned. “You know just the way to a man’s heart!”

Would you look at that? James’ night was looking up already.

.

Tony made hurried excuses as he dashed out of the bored-he-meant-board meeting, probably leaving the executives of Stark Industries thinking he was flaking off again. Too bad he couldn’t tell them he was really running off to _save the world_. Well, okay, maybe just The Bronx… but still. He was going to give Cap a piece of his mind when he got on-scene. He and his chilly sidekick were supposed to have this situation handled.

It took less than five minutes for him to make it down into his basement workshop, suit up, and fly off into the old subway tunnels he used to navigate away from the tower before heading out into the open air. Life would be so much easier if he could just head out from his penthouse, but that would kind of give away his secret identity. Just a little bit. So instead, he rocketed through the dark, dank wetness of the New York Underground, relying on JARVIS to find him a clear route once he reached the tunnels that were actually still in use. Trains did not feel good when taken to the face, he was fairly certain.

The light was a relief when he burst back into it, up through an access tunnel as opposed to through a station. Then it was only a few sharp turns across several blocks and he had reached the thick of the action. Captain America and the Winter Soldier were back to back, being circled by the Green Goblin and Hobgoblin on matching hoverboards.

Fuck.

That was a team-up nobody needed.

The Green Goblin cackled obnoxiously, juggling his pumpkin bombs and tossing them out to keep Cap and the Winter Soldier from being able to fully form ranks. Hobgoblin was the one actually taking the shots meant to hurt. Guess Tony knew who needed to be taken out first. He pulled up short and fired off his repulsors, grinning with satisfaction as Hobgoblin’s hoverboard took a direct hit and exploded beneath his feet.

“You know, you were annoying when there was just one of you, but making it squared just multiplies the irritation exponentially.”

He was pretty sure Cap didn’t get the magnificence of his multi-layered pun, even if he was glaring heatedly.

“You’re late, Iron Man.”

Tony rolled his eyes as he took off after Green Goblin, letting Cap and the Winter Soldier handle Hobgoblin now that he was grounded.

“I was in the middle of getting my nails done,” he quipped, “had to let the paint dry.”

The Winter Soldier grunted and Tony twisted just enough to see him wrestling Hobgoblin to the ground. Good. That left just one menace for them to deal with.

“This isn’t a game,” Cap snapped. “If you can’t take it seriously, then you shouldn’t be out here at all.”

“Sure thing. I’ll keep that in mind the next time you and your ex-assassin buddy over there need saving.”

He shot Green Goblin in the back with a repulsor and flew away before he’d even hit the ground, leaving Cap to clean up the mess. Who the Hell did Cap think he was? At least having to turn in his after-action report meant that he’d probably get to see James.

.

James winced.

“Look, Stevie, I appreciate what you’re trying to do here. I really do. I just… I dunno. I’m not so sure this guy is gonna pan out. I mean, how many times have we tried to get together now?”

“I know, I know, and I wouldn’t normally keep pressing but my friend Nat makes him sound perfect for you. C’mon, Buck, it’d be good for you to have somebody here, in this time. Somebody who isn’t involved in all this superhero stuff. Our lives are just so crazy. Wouldn’t it be good to just feel… normal?”

James scowled.

“I’m _not_ normal. _We’re_ not normal. Why should we pretend to be?”

Steve sighed.

“Just give it another shot, Bucky? Please? For me?”

“Fine. But if he’s got another dumb excuse for not making it, it better be a damn good one.”

.

Tony groaned.

“This can’t be happening _again_!”

Natasha just laughed at him.

“You have the worst luck of anyone I’ve ever met, Antoshka, and that includes the ones I killed. Don’t worry. I’ll come up with a reason for you not to be there. You just work on stopping the program from wiping out our system completely.”

“Fury owes me for this. He owes me _so fucking much_.”

“I will leave making that bargain to you.”

.

“He got caught at work. There’s a huge project going on and the boss made him stay late. He’s really sorry.”

Steve barely managed to bite back a curse. It wasn’t right to curse in front of a lady, or over the phone with one. Bucky was gonna be _pissed_. Getting stuck at work wasn’t a good excuse. It was understandable, sure, but… Steve would just… come up with something better.

“No, no. I understand. I’ll, uh, pass it on to my friend. Maybe things will work out next time.”

.

“There was, uh, a kitten. In a tree. And, of course, he had to try and help it, but he fell. He fell out of the tree and he, uh, he hit his… arm! Yeah, his arm, and he had to go to the urgent care to get it looked at. Because it was hurt.”

What hurt was watching Stevie try to lie. Breaking an arm would probably be less painful. James just sighed and shook his head.

“It’s fine, Stevie,” he brushed it off. “I wasn’t expecting him to make it anyway.”

Truth be told, James was still lounging around his apartment in ratty jeans and no shoes, even though he was supposed to meet this guy in under ten minutes. He hadn’t bothered prepping. He knew the date wouldn’t happen. Still, it hurt to get the confirmation. He’d have to console himself by listening in to the SHIELD coms. Word was Iron Man was handling some big hacking debacle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Certain identities are revealed while others must remain in the shadows...

_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Ow, shit, fuck!_ James was wrong. He was _so_ wrong. Breaking an arm was definitely more painful than watching Stevie try to lie. Especially when that arm was made of fucking _metal_ and had _circuits_ that were _actively electrocuting him._ James’ body seized and jerked as the electricity ran through him, his teeth grinding together so hard that one of his molars had already cracked, he was sure of it. It’d taken Steve and Black Widow together to strap him down to a gurney when the medics arrived and he was dimly aware of Black Widow shouting hurriedly over the coms.

He was only vaguely aware of being loaded into the back of a SHIELD medical van and whisked off through the streets of New York. The medics buzzed around him, Steve hovering over him, and none of it did a damn thing to stop the pain. Rationally, he knew the serum ate through painkillers too quickly for them to make a difference and it would be too dangerous to knock him out until the arm got turned off but _shit._

They screeched to a halt in SHIELD’s underground parking deck and the gurney was barely out of the back of the van before suddenly Edwards was _there_. James tried to focus on him, but the pain was crashing over him in waves now and all he could manage was a jagged, torn whine, muffled by his mask. God, it hurt.

Edwards wasted no time at all, climbing up onto the gurney and swinging one leg over James to straddle his hips. He had a screwdriver clenched between his teeth and was still managing to yell around it at the medics to get them _moving_. In the meantime, he set to work on the arm, getting the access panels open despite James’ writhing and starting to poke around inside. He kept up a steady litany of explanations to James, but the soldier couldn’t understand any of it.

When the pain stopped, it was sudden and complete. James almost choked trying to suck in too much air at once. His muscles quivered and shook from over-exertion and he was more than a little mortified to realize his eyes were damp. Edwards, still perched atop him, smiled down at him blindingly.

“You’re alright. You’re okay. I promise. The problem isn’t _solved_ , exactly, but it’ll hold for now. And I can fix it. I promise I can.”

Of course he could. James never would have doubted that. Edwards could fix anything.

“C’mon, let’s get this off of you. It’ll make it easier to breath,” the genius said gently, reaching for the clasps to undo James’ mask.

James panicked, trying to reach up with his hands to stop it, but he was still strapped down and then it was _too late_. Edwards’ eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he stared at the soldier’s face.

“ _James?_ ”

Well, shit. So much for his secret identity.

.

Tony’s mind was reeling, trying to understand exactly what the fuck was going on, trying to reconcile the sweet, slightly crass James he joked around with and teased with the solemn and serious Winter Soldier. The docs had knocked the guy out as soon as the electrical current was contained so his body could heal, so now Tony was silently working on his arm while he slept. Only certain medical staff knew the identity of the Winter Soldier, just like only a few of them knew who Iron Man was, and so Tony didn’t have to worry about just anyone walking into the room and disturbing him. Cap had been by, of course, and probably wouldn’t have left if Maria hadn’t come and gotten him so he could give his after-action report. (Tony was more than a little grateful he was gone. Steve didn’t know who he was, but still. _Awkward_.)

He’d been at Stark Industries when Natasha had called him, trying to close a deal with a company in Japan. He hoped Pepper would forgive him for running out of there so abruptly. As a result, his Westwood suit jacket was carefully folded and draped over the back of his chair (because if it got wrinkled his _tailor_ would kill him and Bernard would most certainly get away with it, too) and the sleeves of his shirt were folded back to his elbows, his cufflinks tucked away safely in one pocket. He didn’t even care.

He'd been determined to save the Winter Soldier, worried and a little bit terrified for his fellow hero. Finding out it was _James_ under that mask, though…. His brain kept replaying the way the man’s chest as jerked, and thrashed, desperately trying to breathe through the pain. He couldn’t get the _sounds_ James had been making out of his head. His hands shook faintly as he rewired the arm to make sure something like this could _never_ happen again. Even after the work was done, he lingered. He had a feeling that if he wasn’t there when James woke up, he’d never see the man again.

Like Hell was he letting that happen.

.

James came back to the world slowly, feeling about a million times better than he had when he left it. His jaw was sore, but it was the type of soreness that came after healing. His muscles tingled. He groaned softly as he lifted his flesh arm to rub at his eyes. He blinked rapidly while his eyes adjusted to the bright lights of SHIELD medical and then froze as he spotted the only other person in the room. Edwards was hovering awkwardly, halfway out of his chair. A Styrofoam cup of what had to be _terrible_ coffee sat on the little table beside him. He was wearing a rumpled suit that was far nicer than any that James had actually seen in person before.

“Uh, hey. Sorry. I was just taking a bit of a break working on the arm, needed to wake up a bit. How, uh, how are you feeling?”

Like he wanted to crawl into a hole and _die_. Edwards knew he’d been lying to him, just pretending to be a regular SHIELD agent. Now that Edwards knew the truth, knew him for the murderer he was, there’d sure be no more late-night meetups down in the labs, much less runs to the diner on 5 th.

“Sore,” he admitted, wishing desperately for the right words with which to apologize. Edwards was the first friend he’d managed to make in this new era, his _only_ friend he’d met and made without Steve’s overbearing hovering. He didn’t want to lose that.

“Yeah, well, being electrocuted can have that effect on a guy. I rearranged the relays, looped a secondary bypass into the circuitry conduit so that won’t happen again, by the way. Figured you wouldn’t be looking for a repeat anytime soon.”

James shook his head dumbly, his tongue feeling leaden in his mouth. Edwards glanced away, shuffling his feet a bit, and the corners of James’ lips tugged down in a scowl.

“Right,” the scientist said, “well, I guess all that talking you did was part of your cover. Now that I know your secret identity all that goes away? I’ll just… leave, then. I’m sure there’s something down in the labs I could be poking at. No need to worry, I won’t spill your secret. I just, I thought- Nevermind.”

He headed for the door and James panicked, lurching forward in the bed.

“Wait!”

Edwards froze, staring at him with those impossibly wide, honeyed eyes, framed by dark lashes. He looked like a startled rabbit, ready to run at any moment. If James let that happen, he didn’t know when he’d see the man again.

“I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone,” he forced out. “I don’t- I’d like to keep seeing you. I never would have lied if I didn’t have to. Please don’t go.”

The tension in Edwards’ shoulders eased, though it didn’t disappear completely. He seemed conflicted, but slowly started moving back toward the bed.

“It’s okay,” he nearly mumbled. “I’m not upset about you not telling me. I get it. SHIELD standard protocol. You never know who the guy passing you in the hallway really is. Everyone has more than one job,” his gaze darted away and James couldn’t help but wonder what other job SHIELD had Edwards doing. He hoped it wasn’t anything that made the scientist uncomfortable.

“I come down to the labs a lot,” he confessed, because Edwards still hadn’t sat down like he was going to _stay_ , “after I get back from a mission. Sometimes interacting with you is the only time I feel like an actual human being.”

Edwards stared at him and, yeah, on second thought that was probably a bit much to just lay on a guy. A moment later, Edwards was giving him a small smile, though, almost shy.

“How about I give you my number instead? I know we’ve never exchanged numbers before ‘cause of the whole ‘no sharing personal information’ thing but… It’d be a more reliable way to get in touch, yeah? So even if I’m not here, we can still talk or something.”

James relaxed back into the pillows of his bed, grinning like a madman.

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

.

“What is this?”

Tony narrowed his eyes and gave Coulson a shrewd glare. Since when had the agent ever _not_ recognized a form on sight?

“It’s an Affidavit for Release of Records: Identity Request.”

Coulson’s expression revealed nothing as he perused the paperwork, flipping slowly through the pages.

“It says here that you’re filing the Request in reference to a coworker.”

“That’s correct. James Buchanan Barnes. I want to be able to tell him that I’m Iron Man.”

Coulson nodded reasonably, reached for one of the stamps collected neatly in the corner of his desk, and stamped a big fat ‘DENIED’ across the top of the first page.

“Let me just go ahead and save you some time.”

“What?” Tony squawked. “But I already know _his_ identity! Why can’t I tell him _mine?_ Wouldn’t that, I dunno, form trust and improve our ability to work well together out in the field or some shit?”

Coulson just gave him a flat look.

“Your discovery of Agent Barnes’ identity was unavoidable and due directly to an emergency situation. There’s no basis for compromising your security as well, Stark. You’re an internationally known figure, in name alone even if you keep your face out of the news at every possible opportunity. The more people who know that you’re also secretly Iron Man, the higher the risk. You know as well as I do that there have been rumors since the beginning that you’re the engineer behind the armor. It’s only a matter of time before you become a target as Tony Stark.”

Tony glared.

“And you think James is going to, what? Sell me out to the Ten Rings or something?”

“The answer is no, Mr. Stark. End of story.”

.

It was _awful_ knowing who James really was and having to interact with the Winter Soldier the same way he always had. That didn’t stop him from going out on more calls that he knew James would be answering, though, even if it meant Captain America would be along on them, too.

“Do you really have that little faith that we can get the job done?” the Captain finally accused, not even pausing the fight.

Tony hovered overhead, taking out most of the enemies before they could even reach the super soldiers.

“That has nothing to do with it. Besides, aren’t you the one always railing at me about ‘focus’. You should be overjoyed. Kick back and relax, old-timer.”

He could practically _feel_ the Captain scowling at him. The Winter Soldier, as per usual, stayed focused on the battle.

“On your six,” he warned, grabbing Cap’s shoulder with one metal hand and yanked him around to keep the patriotic idiot from getting clocked in the back of the head. He dispatched the enemy with quick, efficient movements. “Head in the game.”

And, really, how had Tony _not_ noticed that voice was the same as James’? It had the same husky timber, the same smooth baritone. Sure, the speech patterns were wildly off, but still. It was _James_.

“Let’s just get this over with quickly,” the genius cut off any more conversation. “Places to be, people to see and all that jazz.”

He’d ditched a product launch to be here. Imminent death by Pepper was looking more and more likely by the minute.

.

hey, you awake?

yeah whats up

just got back from the mission. starving. diner?

meet you there. lemme just wrap this up

tell kitty I want double whip on my french toast

pretty sure she already knows


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha puts her foot down and Tony talks to Fury.

“This can’t go on,” Natasha said seriously as she handed Steve a beer and threw herself down on the couch.

“How do things keep going so wrong?” Steve lamented. “I mean, your friend is interested, right? Tony?”

Natasha make a noise of frustration.

“He’s lonely. He needs companionship. And Bucky would be good for him. He’s just… stubborn.”

“So, he really has been ditching Bucky on purpose?”

“He wouldn’t do that. Tony has a lot to juggle. Things keep coming up. Is that what Bucky thinks is happening?”

Steve’s uncomfortable look said it all.

“I don’t know, Nat… He’s been hanging out with one of the coms guys lately, Edwards. At least I think he’s coms. I’m not sure. They’ve been getting together some. It’s not a _thing_ , exactly. They’re not stepping out. I just don’t know that Bucky’s feeling very motivated.”

Natasha frowned. There was an Eddie in coms, a science-fiction nerd who played Dungeons and Dragons on the weekends and would suit Bucky’s literature tastes well. Was that who Steve meant? Well, Eddie might be a nice enough guy, but he was on the wrong side of fifty to be Bucky’s type. There wouldn’t be any romantic attraction there.

“I say it’s time to change up our game plan.”

“What’re you thinking?”

Natasha looked smug.

“Depends. Are you free next Friday?”

.

James scanned the bar as they entered. He’d been surprised that the other super soldier even suggested it. It wasn’t his usual scene, but everyone needed a change of pace every once in a while. Who was James to judge? Edwards was like that for him, always bringing something new to his life. His suspicions only grew, though, as Steve craned his neck towards the booths in the back like he was looking for something… or some _one._

“Wilson joining us?”

“What? Oh, no. I mentioned it to Nat and she said she might drop by, is all.”

James’ eyes narrowed.

“Don’t you lie to me, Steven Grant Rogers.”

“Hey! There she is!”

Steve took off without answering, which did absolutely nothing to quell James’ suspicions. He beelined for a booth that was tucked away in the back, practically hidden from the rest of the room. James spotted Natalie’s mane of red hair perched next to a guy in a ballcap who was slouching pretty spectacularly, body language screaming ‘Don’t look at me!’

“Oh, my god, Steve. I thought you wanted a night _off_. What the Hell are you dragging me into now? Are we here to meet an _informant?_ ”

Steve’s steps faltered.

“What? No! Why would you even think that?”

James stepped in close, not wanting to be overheard by the bar’s other patrons.

“Because you dragged me out to a seedy bar all the way across the city to meet Natalie, one of SHIELD’s top Intel Analysts, who’s sitting next to a guy who’s acting like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world. What am I _supposed_ to think?”

“Buck, no! That’s not it at _all!_ ”

“Problem? Or are you boys planning to join us anytime tonight?” Natalie gave them a slow smile from where she’d managed to sneak up right beside them. “C’mon, you’ve already kept us waiting.”

Steve set off immediately to follow her back to the booth, leaving James to trudge stormily behind him. If he got shot at tonight…

“So, who’s your friend?” he asked, succinctly.

The more he knew, the better he could prepare himself for whatever was to come. God dammit. If Steve had just _told_ him this is what they were doing, he would’ve brought more than one gun.

Natasha’s smile turned smug as she slid back into her seat.

“Bucky, this is Tony. Tony, meet Steve and his friend Bucky. Since you and Bucky haven’t been able to get your schedules to line up, we decided to make sure you both actually got here this time.”

The guy in the booth looked up and James’ jaw dropped.

“ _Edwards?_ ”

Edwards blinked up at him, clearly just as surprised.

“Wait, _you’re_ Bucky?”

Now Steve and Natalie looked confused, too. Good. Served them right.

“You two already know each other?”

“Yeah, Edwards in the scientist I’ve been hanging out with.”

Nat sent a glare Steve’s way.

“You said he was a coms guy. I thought you meant _Eddie_.”

Tony squawked indignantly.

“Hey! What’s with the tone? Eddie’s _awesome_.”

James was so confused.

“Who the hell is Eddie?”

While Steve raised his hands defensively and tried to stammer out an explanation-cum-apology in the face of Natalie’s glare, James slid into the booth next to Edwards.

“So, Tony, huh?”

The scientist’s gaze darted to the side.

“I wanted to tell you. I filed a request and everything, after…”

James nodded, not making him finish.

“It’s okay. I get it. Truth be told, it wasn’t exactly a situation where either of us got to decide whether or not you figured it out.”

Tony’s shoulders drooped in relief, though there was still some tension there.

“Still,” he insisted, “I should have told you.”

James grinned at him as he plopped an elbow down on the table and rested his chin on his hand.

“If you really feel that bad, you can make it up to me by buying me a beer.”

Edwards- _Tony_ gave a familiar bark of laughter.

“Yeah, okay. I think I can do that.”

“And I’ll buy you one, too, seeing as I’ve got a lot of making up to do for all those times I accidentally stood you up.”

He knew only too well how much those times had hurt Tony, never knowing why.

“Something tells me that you were out saving the world those times. I can hardly hold it against you. That being said, I never turn down free beer.”

“Done. Wanna ditch these two while they’re distracted and head over to our place on 5th? We can go out for the beers after we finish the French toast. It’s not good to drink on an empty stomach, you know.”

“ _God yes_.”

.

They didn’t talk about it, not really, but when Tony leaned up to press a quick, furtive kiss to James’ lips at the end of the night, the only thing he could think to do was reel him back in for another. Possibly several.

.

“Yeah, okay. Pull the other one.”

Tony pouted before reaching for his wallet. He might be scared shitless by this conversation, but that didn’t make it one that was any less necessary. If he had to keep one part of his life a secret from James, he was going to make damn sure he told the man everything he could about the rest of it.

“I’m serious, you ass.”

“Uh huh. Yeah, sure. No, I totally believe you. Look, I’m not saying you’re not smart enough to be Tony Stark, because you’re obviously the smartest person I’ve ever me-Holy shit.”

James stared down at the driver’s license Tony had just passed across the table to him.

“I _told you._ ”

“You’re Tony Stark.”

“Yes.”

“You’re _the_ Tony Stark.”

“Anthony Edward… Now you know where the SHIELD cover name came from.”

James was still gaping down at the plastic card in his hand.

“Holy shit.”

The genius shifted uncomfortably.

“Is this… going to be a problem?”

James’ gaze immediately snapped up to meet his.

“What? No! Why would it? I mean, no. I don’t- I’m just surprised, is all. Doll, it’s a shock but by this point I don’t care _who_ you are.” His eyes softened as his grin turned sappy. “I know _you_ , that’s all that matters.”

Relief warred with guilt that threatened to bring Tony to his knees.

.

“Coulson’s office is down the hall, three doors down and on the right,” Fury informed with a disinterested glare.

Tony plopped down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“I’ll admit I feel a bit bad about depriving him of an extra bit of paperwork. He does love it so.”

“And yet it’s on my desk and not his, hand delivered, even.”

“Yes, well, it’s possible that I was hoping for a different answer than I got the last time I turned something similar in to him.”

Fury lifted the first page of Tony’s newly filled out Affidavit for Release of Records: Identity Request and eyed it critically.

“Dad said no so you decided to ask mom instead?”

“I find it very interesting that you cast yourself as the mom in that analogy.”

The glare sharpened. Tony really did have a gift, didn’t he?

“It’s been brought to my attention that your civilian identification was already revealed to Agent Barnes, despite the denial of your last Request.”

“To be perfectly fair, that was more Agent Romanov’s fault than mine.”

Fury hummed noncommittally, gaze falling back to the forms. He flicked through them idly, taking his time reading them. Tony did his best not to fidget.

“Have you filed the proper forms regarding your relationship with Agent Barnes?”

“Yes. _Those_ I turned in to Coulson.”

Fury shuffled the papers back together and slid them back across his desk toward Tony.

“Iron Man and Tony Stark have been kept secret for a reason. You know that better than anyone. After what happened with Stane, you specifically requested that your identity be kept as wrapped up as possible. Why the change of heart?”

Tony lifted his chin, refusing to be cowed.

“Only seven people in the world know the identity of Iron Man, including you, Coulson, and Natasha. I trust each and every one of those people implicitly and I never thought I’d find someone I’d be able to trust that much again. But James… I trust him with more than just my life.”

It must have been a trick of the light, but for a split second it looked almost as if Fury were smiling.

“Alright, then, Stark,” the director said, standing from his chair. He tapped the forms once before gathering the pile up. “I’ll take these down to Coulson and get them fast tracked.”

Tony’s jaw dropped.

“What? Are you serious?”

“Have you ever known me not to be? This is your secret, Stark, whatever the many and varied advantages to keeping it one. You have the right to decide who you want to tell.”

Tony had to suppress the nearly suicidal urge to give Fury a hug.

.

Tony came slamming into the armory with a clatter of sound and scrambling motion. His grin was nearly manic. James raised an eyebrow at him before starting to pack away the rifle he’d been cleaning.

“Something goin’ on I miss?”

“Not yet,” Tony promised, nearly bouncing on his toes in his excitement. Several of the other SHIELD agents in the room were staring openly. “You got a minute? Or a few? A few would be better, honestly.”

James reached out to ruffle the genius’s already messy hair before cupping the back of his head to haul him in for a kiss. They usually tried to keep the PDA at SHIELD to a minimum, but there was only so much resisting a man could do.

“Pretty sure I can squeeze you in,” he rumbled, deliberately low and drawn out. He let his eyes rake over Tony’s form and delighted in the shiver it earned him.

“ _Wow_. Yes, okay, that is _definitely_ something we should do some time. Sometime soon, even. I am very onboard with that plan. Right now, though, I’m going to need a bit more brain function than I will have whenever _that_ happens.”

James snapped the lid of the rifle case shut and settled it back into his locker, making sure to key in his code to secure it before turning back to Tony.

“Alright, then. I’m all yours.”

Tony beamed at him as he grabbed his hand and hauled him out of the armory and through the corridors.

“Okay, so, I’m just going to preface this by saying that this is kind of a huge fucking deal, okay? But I want to do this. I do. It’s just… not scary, exactly. I mean, it _is_ scary, it’s fucking _terrifying_ , but it’s a good thing? I’m excited about it. And happy. It’s a scared-happy combo, really.”

James was frowning now.

“Should I be worried?”

He’d never seen Tony act quite like this before.

“Not-Not _worried_ , no. You shouldn’t be, at least. I am, a little, but I think that’s just me. My brain likes to go full ‘worst case scenario,’ as you well know. I’m trying to reign it in, but, well.” He shrugged to accompany his self-deprecating smile.

James slowed as they neared the Armor Vault, Iron Man’s domain. James had been inside before, several times actually, for various missions, but no one went in there without Iron Man or at least by his command.

“Where are we going?”

“There’s something I need to show you.” Tony turned worried eyes toward him. “Please? I know I’m not giving you much right now, but… It’s important. Please trust me? I need to show you how much I trust _you_.”

James just curled his fingers a bit tighter around Tony’s.

“Whatever you need,” he promised.

Tony gave him a smile that was far, far too grateful for such a simple act and continued on to the doors. He did a quick double check to make sure the hallway was clear before pressing his palm to the access panel. For a moment, James was sure nothing would happen but then the blast doors hauled themselves apart, allowing them entry.

Holy crap.

Maybe all those rumors about Tony Stark being Iron Man’s maintenance guy were true after all. The genius certainly seemed nervous and flighty enough to be about to share a secret of that scale. A rush of fear filled James to the brim. What if Tony really _was_ the mind behind the Iron Man armor? People would be coming after him. And Tony wasn’t a fighter. How was he supposed to protect himself?  He had security, sure, but how much good would they do against forces like AIM or the Ten Rings? Or any other number of villains who had a vested interest in either bringing down or reproducing the armor, for that matter. Was SHIELD keeping an eye on the situation? Did they have people watching him? What if Tony got _taken?_

“So, um, I’m sure you already have some ideas about what it is I want to show you.”

James nodded numbly, just trying to absorb everything, to think of a way to keep Tony _safe._ James had lost too much already. He couldn’t lose the one person who made him feel most alive.

“I guess… I tried not to think about it. I might have figured it out if I did,” he found himself saying, finding it true as he spoke the words. “It felt like an invasion, in a way. I didn’t want to know if you couldn’t be the one to tell me.”

Tony winced.

“I’ve _wanted_ to tell you for a while.”

“I know. And I’m not upset or anything. I think that’s part of why I didn’t want to figure it out on my own. I didn’t want to take that, _this_ , away from you.”

Tony’s face nearly split with the force of his grin. He took a step away from James and held his arms out wide.

“Well, then, I guess I shouldn’t keep you waiting. J, if you would be so kind…”

“Of course, Sir.”

There was a whirr of servos as panels slid aside from the walls and then pieces of metal were whizzing across the room, latching onto Tony’s frame and covering him in familiar red and gold, lifting him up until he stood taller than James himself. The only part of him that remained uncovered was his face, the usual faceplate of the brilliant armor was lifted to keep Tony’s nervous grin visible.

“Surprise?”

James couldn’t help reeling him down into a kiss, his elated laughter caught between their lips. He supposed he wouldn’t have to worry about Tony being able to defend himself after all.

.

The reveal of the arc reactor _inside Tony’s chest_ was much less comforting. James felt ill at just the thought of where all those scars had come from. It was boggling what chest wraps and synthetic skin could hide. The genius had given him an uncertain smile.

“I told you I had a heart condition.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is interested in reading some of my original novel, I have posted a bit of it here and will continue to do so throughout the writing process: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11152806/chapters/24885585


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bring it all home.

Tony whooped as he spiraled through the air, pulling corkscrew turns around buildings as the alien whale-slash-warship chased after him. Nat, Steve, and James were running around on the ground somewhere and Hawkeye, _Clint_ Tony had one recently learned, was shooting off arrows from the top of a building, calling out patterns to the rest of them as he kept an eye on things. Bruce, loveable, wonderful, _angry_ Bruce, had Hulked out and was currently smashing one of the other warships. The team’s newest addition, Thor, was duking it out with his brother on the landing pad of Tony’s tower… not that anyone _knew_ it was his tower.

Well, they knew it was _his_ tower, Tony Stark’s tower. The damn thing was called _Stark Tower_ ; they _better_ know. They just didn’t know it was also Iron Man’s tower.

God, this secret identity stuff was exhausting. Maybe he should just ditch it. He had a team now, after all. It wasn’t like he was all on his own. He was going to have to renovate the tower anyway after all the damage Loki and the Chitauri had caused. The team could just… move in with him. Who would dare come after him with a tower full of super heroes? (He pointedly chose _not_ to mentally run through the list of villains with either the insanity or the balls to do just that.) He’d be fine. And James would be close. They could do the whole domestic shtick, cohabitate. He might even be able to convince the super soldier to share the penthouse with him.

He kind of liked that idea. Besides, he really, really wanted to be able to fly the suit off his balcony.

.

James’ heart hammered in his chest as he raced toward Tony’s tower. He didn’t even know what he planned to _do_. He just had to get there, even though there was no physically possible way he’d make it. He just… It felt like he couldn’t breathe, listening to Tony’s voice in his ear.

“I have to admit, I didn’t think this was going to be how people found out Tony Stark was Iron Man… Do you think SHIELD will try to cover it up?”

“I won’t let them,” James somehow managed to choke out, his stride never faltering as he vaulted over a four-car accident. “You’re a hero, Tony. You’re _everything_. You’re so good, so good. So much better than you ever got credit for.”

James would give anything, _anything_ for Tony not to be the one guiding a bomb into a space portal. It was a one-way trip. They all knew it. He supposed he should be grateful that the others were staying off the coms, giving them this moment, but he didn’t have the thoughts to spare. All of his focus was zeroed in on the flying red and gold suit… It might be the last time he ever saw it.

“I’m glad I got to tell you,” Tony said, sounding strained. “I just… I wouldn’t want you to find out this way.”

His chest was in _agony_.

“I love you,” he confessed, tears blurring his vision. “I’ve loved you for months. I should have told you sooner.”

He’d always regret that, especially when Tony gave an impossibly pained sound.

“I love you, too. You’re all I ever could have wanted. James, I-“

But he never got to finish. Because, just like that, James’ heart was crushed, flown through a portal with a bomb on his back.

.

“Please tell me you kissed me. I’ve always wanted to be a Disney Princess, complete with my very own Prince Charming.”

James just went right back to kissing him, the suit’s torso resting half-in his lap. Tony was _alive_. Tony was _alive_ and he _loved him_.

James’ was pretty sure his life couldn’t get any better than it already was.

.

“So, I was thinking,” Tony said around a huge bite of his shawarma, avoiding actually looking any of his teammates in the eye. James’ hand was warm on his knee and that’s all he really needed, “a central headquarters would be a good idea, a base of operations. Like SHIELD, but, you know, not… SHIELD.”

Nat snorted indelicately.

“Very eloquently put. I’m impressed. Moved, even. I feel very moved. How about you, Clint? Do you feel moved?”

“I feel like I should move to a different table,” Bruce muttered at his plate.

Clint just grinned and clapped him on the shoulder.

“No such luck, my friend. All the other tables got destroyed. You’re stuck with us. Your own fault, really, since you’re the one who came back.”

Bruce sighed his agreement and went back to his food.

“Excuse you,” Tony pouted. “I was trying to offer to host our merry little band of misfit toys. I have a perfectly good tower that needs to be renovated anyway. Great central location, plenty of space.”

James’ fingers twitched on his knee and Tony very carefully looked anywhere but at him. They hadn’t talked about their mutual confessions just before Tony had gone through the portal, but the genius was pretty sure those feelings hadn’t changed. He allowed one of his hands to creep down to take hold of James’.

“You want us to come live with you?” Steve asked, looking bewildered. “Why?”

“As I have already _explained_ -“

“Because he’s really rather terrible at making friends,” Nat cut him off _very_ rudely. “That, and he loves being able to take care of people. It makes him happy. Just let him mother you and it’ll all be fine.”

“ _Excuse_ you! Of all the things I have been accused of! I do not _mother_.”

“You’re right. You’re more like a big sister. Much less over-protective but you still have to make sure everyone is taken care of. I’m in, either way.”

Tony grumbled discontentedly, but didn’t actually say anything for fear that she might change her mind.

“I go where Nat goes,” Clint threw in lazily. “Besides, I could… use a break from SHIELD.”

Steve nodded along thoughtfully.

“It makes tactical sense,” he agreed, shooting Tony a wry smile that said that was far from his only reason.

Huh. Tony’d really thought Steve still didn’t like him all that much.

James leaned over to press a sloppy kiss to Tony’s cheek.

“I’m in. I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight anytime soon.”

Tony was so distracted kissing James senseless, he almost missed Bruce’s mumbled agreement and Thor’s boisterous laughter as he agreed to stay with them whenever he was back on-realm.

.

Bulbs flashed brightly as the reporters crowded in as closely as the barricade let them. Tony just kept right on grinning, pretending he wasn’t being completely blinded. He couldn’t make out any of the questions being shouted at him, but it didn’t matter. He knew what they all wanted to know. A glance to the side revealed James hidden off-stage, invisible to the cameras out front. The super-soldier gave him a thumbs-up and a grin.

Tony set his cue cards down on the podium. He squared his shoulders and looked directly out into the crowd.

“There’s been a lot of speculation these past few years over whether or not I’ve been involved in the Iron Man project, whether I was hired to be the mechanic behind the armor or whether the armor designs were stolen from Stark Industries. I’m here to tell you these rumors are false. Yesterday, after what is now being called the Battle of New York, amateur photography surfaced depicting what appears to be the Iron Man armor with the faceplate removed, though the face of the pilot was not clearly visible. It’s the closest Iron Man has ever come to being unmasked to the general public…”

He took a deep breath.

In.

Out.

He was not alone. Not anymore. Not ever again.

“The truth is, I am Iron Man.”


End file.
